


longing to linger

by engolras



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Multi, Polyamory, Post-Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-10-17 00:49:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10582962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/engolras/pseuds/engolras
Summary: Nyx finds she enjoys these times the best, no matter how rare of an occurrence they are.





	

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this a month or so ago but just didn't publish it for some reason? i found it and polished it up a bit, so here we are.

They can never simply forget who they are, what with all of them being so deeply rooted in their respective histories, but there are times when these histories don't hover behind them like spirits, influencing their every decision.  Nyx finds she enjoys these times the best, no matter how rare of an occurrence they are.

She never vocalizes these exact sentiments as she's not sure how well they'd be taken given that she's the only one who's outright ashamed of her past, but she's fairly sure the other three would agree.

These past few weeks have been especially history driven due to all the discussion of the future.  While the Nohrian court was content to let Xander continue in his father's footsteps by way of having multiple partners, their pressuring him to determine a queen has been increasing daily now that his own coronation has past.  The problem is that the partner they all believe - aside from the person in question, of course - would be the best suited for the role is Kaze, but they all know the nobility would draw the line at that.  Xander would let them share the role if he could, but with all of the reforms he plans to put into place, he knows he needs to engage in some give and take with the rest of the court.

The choice itself should be simple enough; there are only two options after all.  Unfortunately, both parties feel that the other would be better suited for the task than herself.  Charlotte doesn't think of herself as trustworthy enough to have such a responsibility placed on her shoulders and that Nyx, with her abundant wisdom, would be a far better queen than her.  Nyx, on the other hand, believes her past actions and age would be disadvantageous in comparison to Charlotte's youth and borderline revolutionary thinking - at least in comparison to the Nohrian court itself.  While Xander had made it clear that he'd discuss his ideas with all of them before presenting them to the court, one of the two women would have to become a figurehead who might be faced with making decisions on the fly during court sessions.  

Both Charlotte and Nyx's mindsets would have advantages and disadvantages when it comes to the position of Nohrian Queen, but they each tend to highlight their disadvantages whenever the topic arises.  Unfortunately for the two of them, they always manage to end up arguing over who should take the position, as of late, no matter how much they try to avoid it due to the frequent remarks they overhear around the castle.

That is far from the only issue, of course.  Kaze, for instance, has rarely been seen over the past week or so aside from when they all wake in the morning and when they all retire in the night.  Nyx has seen him occasionally in the castle library with multiple language books spread around him.  The library, she knew, wouldn't have any sort of Hoshidan translation book so he was teaching himself the native tongue by translating Nohrian to the common tongue and then to Hoshidan.  The few times she's seen him studying are the most frustrated he's ever looked.  Charlotte, in one of their conversations before it derailed into the queen debate, said the last conversation they'd had that wasn't simply an exchange of greetings was about Nohrian customs.  Xander, who's barely been able to speak to anyone outside of the court, told Nyx a few days ago that he was worried about Kaze feeling neglected and left to adjust to Nohr on his own.  Nyx reminded him that Kaze would have tried to adjust by himself even if the other three had all the time in the world to help him do so.  The three of them know that Kaze will come to them for help when he feels he needs it, but they do wish he would at least tell them he felt that he was in a bit over his head.  Hearing he was homesick from him directly would hurt less than catching him looking in the direction of Hoshido every morning only to deny it if it was brought up.

Before he can transform Nohr into the kingdom it deserves to be, Xander has to clean up his father's messes.  He's not entirely alone in this; Ryoma has had a much smoother time of reforming Hoshido's policy towards Nohr and has been partly funding reparations in Cheve especially, and despite having her hands full trying to rebuild her own kingdom, Corrin has been nothing but helpful in the negotiations she's been involved with.  However with Camilla in Hoshido preparing for her marriage to Hinoka, Leo gone with Azura, Odin, Selena, and Laslow to the latter three's home (with no guarantee of a safe return), and Elise traveling the world with Sakura and their respective retainers in tow, Xander no longer has his siblings to fall back on.  He insists that he never did before, that he's always been preparing for such a time where he would be without them, but there have been far too many occasions where Xander catches himself before saying he must tell his sisters or his brother something for Nyx, Charlotte, and Kaze to believe him.

Nyx wakes with all of this in the back of her mind, and shifts around to look at the clock on the other side of the room.  The hands tell her it's far too early for her to be awake, but she doesn't try to fall back asleep straight away.  

While the bed is big enough for the four of them lie side by side, Nyx is lying on top of Xander.  She'd accidentally ended up in this position one night and Xander insisted that, should she feel comfortable doing so, she was small and light enough for this to not bother him in the slightest.  Even after her groaning at Charlotte's cooing over how adorable that would be, Nyx did make a habit of it.  If asked she would insist it was solely so Xander could be in the absolute centre of them all, because he truly enjoyed being there even if he did deny it, but in all honesty she found such a position comforting for her as well.

Charlotte is sound asleep on Xander's left, her hair a complete mess and her arms pressed against Xander's side.  She snores - which she vehemently denies doing - and shifts her leg so that it lies atop Nyx's own, trapping it between her and Xander's legs.  Nyx loves Charlotte no matter how she acts, but there's something about Charlotte with her guard entirely down like this that makes Nyx's heart swell even more than when Charlotte is sweet talking her.

Xander still somehow looks mostly collected in his sleep - aside from that bit of drool currently escaping his mouth - but he looks so much more serene that Nyx almost forgets that this is the same man she saw just hours before with furrowed brows and a thoughtful frown.  It's even harder to believe she's in bed with the King of Nohr whenever Kaze opens the curtains in the morning to wake the rest of them up and Xander pulls a pillow over his head.  Charlotte usually joins him under that pillow, either also seeking refuge from the morning light or wanting to wake him in some sort of ridiculous manner.

Nyx rolls over to check on Kaze and finds him in the process of waking up himself.  Her shifting around probably woke him up, seeing as he’s somehow immune to Charlotte’s snoring, and she finds herself wishing - definitely not for the first time - that Kaze wasn’t such a light sleeper.  She knows that it’s mostly, if not all, due to his training as a ninja and she would never want to insist he refuse a part of his heritage, but she doubts he gets anywhere near the amount of sleep he needs to get given how many quiet things seem to wake him.

Nyx reaches her hand out to stroke Kaze’s hair in an attempt to convince him to go back to sleep.  He looks up at her with eyes not as alert as she feared they would be.  She convinces her groggy body to go the extra mile and leans over to kiss his forehead.

“Everything’s fine,” she whispers, still stroking his hair.  “Go back to sleep.  You need it.”

Kaze mumbles something in Hoshidan that Nyx can’t quite make out, but it must have been something in agreement because he closes his eyes and starts to drift off.  Nyx draws herself back onto Xander, but leaves her arm stretched out for Kaze to hold, which he does  only a few seconds later.  

Nyx smiles, deciding to indulge in this moment.  Xander is, however temporarily, without his worries.  Charlotte, even if she is asleep, isn’t doubting if she belongs where she is.  Kaze, for the first time in over a week, is facing everyone else instead of the window.  Nyx, despite having been convinced that her destiny lied in solitude, is surrounded by the three loves of her life.

Even if moments like this are few and far between, Nyx finds herself thinking, they’re more than worth the wait.


End file.
